Improvement in aerial machines



H. BADGLEY. Aerial Machine.

pr il 22, 1879.

P a t e n t e d A HIITIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllilfl um MPETERS,FHOTG-LITHQGRAPHER. WASNXNGTDNv 0 C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BADGLEY, OF FAIRFAX COURT-HOUSE, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN AERIAL MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.2l4,546, dated April 22,1879; application filed October 1, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BADGLEY, of Fairfax Court-House, in the countyof Fairfax and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Aerial Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in flying-machines.

the machine, said shaft being in sections, so

coupled that the rear propeller can be turned in any direction to movethe machine in any desired direction; second,in combination with theabove devices, a lifting-wheel and a balloon, all of-which will be morefully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters indicatecorresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing the workingparts of my machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing the balloon andstay-rods, also the supporting-shaft, 850., in section.

A represents a balloon of any desired shape, size, or construction, butwhich should have a lifting capacity sufficient to almost lift themachine, together with a small engine or other motor, and at least oneperson in it, thus leavin g very little for the lifting-wheel to do. By.thus giving the balloon such a lifting power all the more force may beapplied to driving the machine back and forth and from side to side;

the balloon by a plate, d,or other suitable means, at its upperond,"thu's providin g an additional stay or connection between theballoon and the boat. This shaft has a shoulderd, around its centralpart, and to this shoulder are secured stays d. The lifting-wheel E isfitted onto the upper part of the shaft D and rests on the shoulder 61',and is prevented from sliding upward on the shaft D by the shoulder (1The lifting-wheel is preferably composed of a hollow cylinder, E, leavesor parts 0 arms 0 and stay-cords e connecting the arms a with the leaves8 also, the outer edge or side of the leaves may extend downward aboutsix inches, to prevent the air from slipping off, all together providinga wheel of great strength and durability.

To the bottom of cylinder E is secured a cog-wheel or pulley, n, forapplying the power, which will operate the lifting-wheel and cause themachine to ascend or descend at any desired speed without waste of gas,or the use of sand-bags or other ballast for that purpose.

To prevent the balloon from bursting from the pressure of gas atgreat'altitudes, a small valve, a, is placed in the top of the balloon,

which the upward pressure of the gas keeps closed. A small cord, a isattached to the under side of the valve a, and passes down through theballoon, and thence through the hollow upright shaft D, and out througha. small hole, d, in shaft D. The valve may be opened by simply pullingthe cord, thus letting "out sufficient gas to prevent the balloon frombursting; then the cord is released, and

the pressure of the gas closes the valve again.

I will now describe the devices for propelling the machine forward andbackward and for steering the same: F is a propeller-wheel at the frontend of the machine, and F the steering-wheel at the rear end, both ofwhich may be of any desired construction or material, and both aresecured to the same horizontal shaft, F. This shaft runs the wholelength of the boat, and rests in hearings on the front and'rear ends ofthe boat, and also in a bearing, d on the upright shaft D.

Shaft F is made in three sections, g h 1', which are connected with eachother by strong coiledsprings or other flexible couplings 70 k. Thesection h of the shaft rests in a bearing in the end of a lever, I,which is pivoted to a support, an. By operating the lever on its pivot,the section h of the shaft is carried from side to side, which theflexible couplings will admit without changing the continuous revolutionof the entire shaft together, and which will change the direction of thesteering-wheel, and thereby steer the machine in any desired directionwith greater facility than any device heretofore used.

It is obvious that the power from the engine or other motor may beapplied to a pulley or gear, 0 also, that when the power is applied,both the wheels F and F will be operated to propel the machine forwardand backward, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The lifting-wheel composed of parts E,

0, c and 0 substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

2. A balloon having a valve, to, in its top, in combination with hollowshaft D and cord a said shaft being firmly secured to the boat 0 and theballoon, all substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. The propeller-wheel F and steering-wheel F in combination with shaftF composed of sections 9 7L 1' and flexible couplings k 7:, part h beingoperated by the lever Z, all substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BADGLEY.

Witnesses:

FRED. G. DIETEnrcII, W. T. J onNsoN.

